


The Space Beside Me

by Lilyliegh



Series: Arc-V Rarepair Week 2017 [6]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Angst, F/F, Kidnapping, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 10:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11507172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilyliegh/pseuds/Lilyliegh
Summary: With Academia storming Heartland in search of the bracelet girls, Sayaka will do anything to protect Ruri from the Professor. This would be easier if Ruri didn't insist on fighting alongside the Resistance ...





	The Space Beside Me

**Author's Note:**

> for arc-v rarepair week - day 06: wartime

_If you love her now, you’ll miss her even more when she’s gone._

* * *

 “I’m not going to hang around the camp while you’re off fighting. That’s pointless when all of our lives are in constant danger –”

“But they’re hunting you specifically –”

“And they’ll never get me.” Around the table, Ruri fixes each of the Resistance members with a scowl. “If you’re trying to push me away, I’ll only push back harder. Brother, let me go with you. I know Heartland’s streets as well as you; I know where to hide and where to go. Academia isn’t going to hold back, and I won’t either.”

Shun’s eyebrows come together, creasing his pale skin. There are dark bags under his eyes from sleepless nights, and cracks in his lips from where he’s bitten them so hard he drew blood. As one of the leaders of the Resistance, he’s been under immense pressure for months. Academia’s insistent raiding and ravaging has led him to become both wary and risky. The blood on his ripped trench coat is a mark of honour for his fighting.

But Ruri is equally battle-worn and it’s only made her stronger. She’s layered in dusty cloths that cloak her body, blending her with the shadows of the room. Her face is speckled with dirt; her ruby eyes shimmer in the low candlelights. When she clenches her fists, the room falls silent.

“Stop trying to protect me.”

“You’re brash,” Shun says, “and the last thing Academia needs is to get their hands on you –”

“Why?” she says. “Why is Academia after me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well until you know, will you stop trying to shield me? I can hold my own, Brother.”

And then she looks at her. Sayaka’s eyes widen as Ruri locks her in her own gaze. It makes Sayaka’s heart beat faster and her hands grow sweaty, and even biting her lip doesn’t break the spell. Sayaka might be the only one in the room who thinks Ruri can stand her own, but can she speak out among her fellow Resistance members? With a thick swallow, Sayaka’s eyes dart to Shun. He’d strangle her here and now if she dared cross him; he’ll protect Ruri with his _life._

When no one speaks for a moment, Ruri pushes herself away from the table with a huff. “Fine,” she snaps. “I’ll take my leave.”

Sayaka looks over her shoulder to watch Ruri storm out of the room; she doesn’t slam the door, but the sound it makes when closing speaks the same volume.

She’s pissed.

Sayaka knows the feeling. She’s been barred from fighting too, as if as soon as war has sprung suddenly misogynistic values appeared in the camp. The difference between her and Ruri is that Sayaka follows along with these rules, and Ruri resists them. There are female Resistance members, but far and few compared to the army of men ready to serve Heartland.

She wants to go to Ruri, but the meeting is still in place, and Sayaka thinks she ought to be there so she can relay information to Ruri when she returns to their tent. She listens with rapt interest to Shun, Kaito, and Yuuto describing their recent invasions on Academia camps and any new intel they’ve acquired. To the side, Allen shares the good news to balance the bad news Kaito keeps describing. Kaito was the first to lose hope when Academia stormed into Heartland.

At times, Sayaka feels a bubble of hope spark in her when she hears Allen talk about the successes they’ve made, the citizens they’ve saved, and the areas they’ve reclaimed. She likes Allen. He’s still clinging to the hope she desperately needs to bring her out of the darkness.

“Meeting adjourned.”

She’s said nothing for the entire meeting.

With a sigh, Sayaka pushes herself up from the table and begins to make her way out the door. Kaito, Shun, and Yuuto hang behind to discuss further plans, and Sayaka doesn’t miss their eyes falling on her as she steps outside into the dark streets. A few meagre street lamps light the rows upon rows of grey tents. At this hour, the only people out and about are members of the meeting returning to their temporary homes for the night.

She lingers outside the tent for a moment before heading to the well to drink. It’s nothing more than a pipe sticking out of the ground which they pump to bring water to the surface, but nonetheless she squats next to her and holds her hand underneath to catch the water.

“How was the meeting?”

Sayaka jumps; she hadn’t heard or seen anyone else around. Then again, Ruri’s cloaks hide her from view and she can be quieter than the wind, so it’s not as if Sayaka would’ve been able to spot her anyways.

“Fine,” Sayaka says. “The camp is getting bigger; north of Heartland there is a Duel Lodge we can go to if this camp becomes too small … or if we’re found here.” The words sink Sayaka’s heart, but Ruri still smiles at her. She squats next to her and holds out her hand for water. Sayaka pumps it for her.

“That’s good to hear! It’ll be quite the walk to bring all of our supplies up there, but if we’ve got hands to help then it should be no trouble.” Her brows furrow, just like her brother’s, and she sighs. “Not that I’ll be able to help with that too if my brother keeps insisting I hang around this camp.”

“He’ll need your help,” Sayaka tells her. After another drink of water, she continues: “Shun and Yuuto are worried that Academia’s goals might not just involve mercilessly killing and conquering dimensions, but also taking prisoners. He thinks this might be why you’re being targeted.”

Ruri doesn’t look at her. “Why is Academia after me?”

“... No one knows.”

“Then until they figure that out, I’d like to help out in whatever way I can. Come on.”

“Eh?” But the rest of the words don’t make it out of her mouth. Ruri’s hand is on her wrist and she tugs Sayaka to her feet, past the tents and into the city. When the Resistance had been looking for a camp, they had thought on their feet for someone close, safe, and dry. They’d found this open square that day. The intricate pathways through the city make it hard to locate, but both Sayaka and Ruri have grown up in Heartland and know the route out of the camp and into the nearby forests.

“You’re putting yourself in danger –” Sayaka begins to say.

Her words stop from a finger on her lips. “We’re not going anywhere far, just to the edge of this park. You know where we are, right?”

Even in the hazy moonlight, Sayaka knows exactly where they are. As children, she and Ruri used to play in this park. They used to get ice cream and sit on the benches. This was the best place for hide and seek because the tree trunks were so wide and the foliage so thick that anyone could blend into the surroundings. The forest is still dense enough to shield them from view until they are on the outskirts of the park, standing on the edge of the grass.

The greenery gives way to dirt and dust. This part of the city has been annihilated, buildings torn from the ground and collapsed against one another. The ground has been uprooted in places where there should have been road and sidewalk. Sayaka still remembers what this part of the city was meant to look like: there was a road with a clothing store and a convenience store; further down was an arcade attached to a game shop. If she squints, she can picture where those buildings were meant to be …

“There’s the game shop over there,” Ruri says, pointing towards one of the few buildings not knocked over on its side. “There should be cards in there still, since I don’t think Academia has any plans on acquiring _proper_ trading cards.”

A cold sweat washes over Sayaka. If Academia captures someone, they’re turned into a trading card. At this time, the process is irreversible.

Ruri stands and pulls her forward. “Let’s go check it out then.”

_Bad idea! Bad idea!_ Sayaka’s mind screams. She digs her heels into the ground and tugs Ruri back. “Cards aren’t worth our lives. There can’t be anything in there worth the danger, if there are even cards to begin with. Don’t you think –”

Ruri spins around. “Don’t you think this is a good idea?”

Sayaka bites her lip. _I don’t want to lose you._

Ruri’s fingers shifts so that she can run her fingers along Sayaka’s wrist. Even such a small movement puts sparks in Sayaka’s chest and sends a hot blush to her cheeks. Only a fool would miss how fast Sayaka’s heart beat for Ruri, but at such a time of crisis there are shadows everywhere.

“I’ll be safe,” Ruri says. She lets go of Sayaka’s hand and holds out her pinky finger, a playful smile on her face. “Have hope.”

With a sigh, Sayaka wraps her littlest finger round Ruri’s, squeezing it for a moment. “Have hope.”

They turn and begin to make their way through the streets. The only sounds are the wind ghosting over the fallen buildings and the slight shuffle of their feet in the dust. Where the stone isn’t broken, it’s wet from the rain. Dense fog makes it hard to see the ground, and Sayaka purses her lips so as not to yell when she stubs her toes on bits of cracked rocks. When they make it to the building, Ruri pushes her into the shadows.

“There might be people inside,” she whispers. “Just to be safe.”

“Would Academia go after a card shop?” Sayaka thinks they’re more likely to find some hidden Heartland citizens, but even that would be worrying. If there are are people left in this area, that means Academia soldiers haven’t thoroughly cleared this area and should be back.

Holding her breath, Sayaka follows Ruri into the card shop. They can barely see their hands before them, but so long as Ruri holds onto Sayaka’s hand, they travel together through the building. Bits of glass crackle under their feet. In the shadows Sayaka can spot the glass counter of the shop, now just a rickety wooden frame. The card displays are thrown across the room. Carefully, Sayaka bends down and brushes her hands over the ground. Glass catches on her fingers, but she stands up and holds out a thin card.

“Found one,” she says to Ruri, who is looking ahead at the counter. The best cards are often displayed there; what Sayaka has found is a weak, low-level monster. Nonetheless, it confirms their hypothesis: there are still cards in this shop.

“Let’s split up and start searching the room,” Ruri says. She wriggles her hand free. Sayaka tries to hold tight. “Sayaka, we’ll be in the same room. I’m fine.”

Sayaka lets go. “Fine.”

Under the dusty moonlight she and Ruri begin looking through the room. Each time they find a card they tuck it in their pockets. At first, Sayaka doesn’t see anything worth the danger of coming here. The cards are all common Monster, Spell, or Trap cards; however, closer to the glass counter she finds uncommon and rare Monsters. Ruri was right: the best cards were by the case.

The longer they search, the more tension that builds in Sayaka’s chest. They _really_ aren’t meant to be here, and if Shun or Kaito find out that Ruri was out of the camp, both girls will be at fault. Sayaka wants to keep fighting in her own way, but she can’t lose her friendship with Ruri.

_Would she risk that to lose Ruri though?_

After an hour of searching, Ruri sneaks back over to her. “I think that’s all we’ll find here,” she says. “We should go.”

Sayaka nods. They head back out of the building, heads bowed in the murky night. It’s still several hours until sunrise, so they have enough time to head back and catch a couple hours of sleep.

“Where are you going?” Ruri asks when Sayaka makes towards the camp.

“Huh?” Sayaka points at the forest, eyebrows furrowing. “Aren’t we … going back?”

“Now?” Ruri says. “Don’t you want to find more cards?”

_Oh no._ Sayaka’s heart rises up into her throat, silencing her. Her bespectacled eyes widen, teeth sinking into her lip. “We need to go back, Ruri –”

Ruri cuts her off with the wave of her hand. She puts a finger to her lips and slowly tilts her head towards the road ahead of them. Even if Sayaka can’t see what Ruri has spotted, her blood runs cold. If they’re meeting anyone in this part of the city, they’re unlikely to find friendly strangers. If Academia has found them, they have little more than a second to run before –

A hand grabs her wrist and pulls her back towards the forest just as a flash of orange appears through the fog. A scream creeps up Sayaka’s throat, but by the time she has the courage to make a sound Ruri is dragging her through the forest, manoeuvring over vines and bushes that grab at their ankles. Ruri’s breath comes fast and heavy; her hand round Sayaka’s wrist grips her so tight that it stops blood circulation. Ruri looks _scared._ She runs through the forest as if he life depends on it, back to the camp where they might be safe.

However, then she turns, dashing to the side. Sayaka knows the way home; she knows Ruri knows the way home too. Then why ...

“Wrong way,” Sayaka gasps out, pulling Ruri back. Her movements are in vain.

“I’m not leading Academia to the main camp,” Ruri says. “We ditch them first before we endanger anyone else.”

They break through the forest with a crash, leaping off a small hill that rolls them down a bank towards the boardwalk. On sunny days after duel school, Sayaka remembers walking down this path with her friends. Now, the broken lights and bloody sidewalk churn her stomach. It doesn’t have an effect on Ruri though: she gets to her feet and pulls Sayaka up with her, and together they begin to run down the path.

When they were in the forest, the overgrowth made them invisible; here, they are out in the open, and it isn’t long before Sayaka hears feet pounding behind them. Should she look behind her?

At the first road they see, Ruri tugs her back into the shadows. Since their pursuer is so close, they don’t have time to pick a good hiding spot. Ruri pulls her into the first house she sees, kicking down the door. Sayaka stumbles inside and over the rug. The house is quite traditional for being in Heartland; however, it’s hard to see much of the lovely decor when the room is dark and destroyed. She keeps bumping her toes on fallen decorations.

They hurry upstairs to one of the bedrooms and close the door. Ruri pushes a desk chair up against the handle, and then pulls Sayaka into the closet. Shoved between dresses and coats, there isn’t much room for either of them; Sayaka ends up flush to Ruri. She’s thankful for the darkness, or else Ruri would see the dark red blush across her cheeks.

“Who –”

Ruri puts a hand to her mouth. Then she leans into Sayaka, mouth against her ear, and whispers, “That’s an Academia soldier. He’s been following me this past week … orange hair, quirky get-up. I saw him in the city once and he whisked me away. I know he’s been looking for me though.”

When Ruri leans back, Sayaka leans towards her. She’s never been so close to Ruri before, cheek to cheek. “Have you told anyone else?”

“You’re the first.”

Sayaka swallows. “We need to go back to the camp, Ruri. He’s going to find us here.”

“Then he’ll take me. If I’m captured, you run.”

_No!_ Sayaka shivers against Ruri. She shakes her head back and forth against Ruri’s neck. She’ll never leave Ruri in danger; she’ll never be a coward who runs away from her friends. Yet Ruri reaches out to still her, snaking her hands up into Sayaka’s short, lavendar hair. Her fingers play with the barrettes on either side of her head.

“I’ll be fine, Sayaka. Promise.” A kiss on her cheek. “Have hope.”

The words stick in Sayaka’s throat. “Have … hope,” she mumbles.

It seems like hours before either of them dare leave the closet and tiptoe back downstairs. Every creak of the house had sent Sayaka into a panic – was that the soldier? However, no one had come upstairs and no one had found them. With any luck, the soldier will have given up on them and returned to his camp. Ruri and Sayaka can then return to theirs.

A hand grabs Ruri as she steps out the door, catching in her long hair. Ruri _screams,_ a sound that curdles blood and stops hearts, and Sayaka freezes at the bottom of the stairs. The gloved hand slaps over Ruri’s lips and pulls her away. Before Sayaka knows what she’s doing, she’s crashed through the doorway and leapt on the assaulter. She grabs Ruri’s shoulder and attempts to pull her away. They need to leave. They need to run away –

But the man is stronger. In fact, it’s not one man but two. The second one appears from the shadows behind her, grabbing the back of her shirt and yanking her backwards. “Ah ah ah, no need to be so physical,” he says, voice dripping.

Thrown back, Sayaka tries to crawl back towards Ruri. They have her. Neither captor looks like an Academia soldier, dressed much too nicely. They must be special soldiers, favourites of Academia’s Professor.

“Sayaka, run!” Ruri tells her, kicking a leg towards her.

Sayaka pushes forward and clamps a hand over Ruri’s ankle. “Ruri!”

Two hands grab her shoulders and yank her back. “You’re nice and all,” a voice says, “but you’re not who we need. Goodbye.”

There’s light. A thick, green light erupts through the city. Sayaka screams because she knows exactly what this is, has seen it before on the battlefield, has lost friends to this same technology and _no no no where is she where is Ruri she can’t be missing they weren’t supposed to take her –_

She screams. She wails so loud that she wouldn’t be surprised if someone come dashing out of  the house to make she there isn’t a murder in progress. Her throat seizes and she chokes on her own saliva, bending forward with sickening gasps and coughs. The fog and dust make it hard to breathe through; coughing, Sayaka folds herself forward and _sobs._

The space where Ruri was is empty. Residual magic hisses in the air where she once stood. There are footprints and marks from the scuffle outside of the house, but if anyone came upon this area they wouldn’t know what happened. In truth, Sayaka isn’t sure what has transpired. One minute she and Ruri were looking for trading cards, and the next minute they were being pursued by Academia. They were safe until they went out of that house, where they were ambushed –

They weren’t going after the city. The soldiers were planning on Ruri running away from the camp; after all, it was only her that they needed.

_We should have gone back home,_ Sayaka thinks. _If Ruri had gone back home, we would’ve been OK. We would’ve survived._

She presses her forehead to the ground, eyes clouded, and stumbles over a choked sob. She could’ve saved Ruri. She could’ve protected her.

She misses her.

A dark thought slips into her mind: _Will I ever see her again?_

And Sayaka doesn’t know the answer.


End file.
